Help! This is long but I'm a newbie to stray chickens and I need advice!

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Welcome from New Orleans. You will find this site very helpful. Our first chicken was a rescue cockerel, after 2 weeks of him pecking at the back door for me to come out and play, we got him 3 adult hens. They went right into the coop with him (we were newbies), he pecked each hen and then pecked me and my daughter, hubby let him know that DH was the boss and we never had a problem after. He was a great roo, protective and good with his girls. Had to re home him after 4 or so years, because we weren't supposd to have him in the first place. So she may be ready for a friend.
 
Ursuline Chick said:
Welcome from New Orleans. You will find this site very helpful. Our first chicken was a rescue cockerel, after 2 weeks of him pecking at the back door for me to come out and play, we got him 3 adult hens. They went right into the coop with him (we were newbies), he pecked each hen and then pecked me and my daughter, hubby let him know that DH was the boss and we never had a problem after. He was a great roo, protective and good with his girls. Had to re home him after 4 or so years, because we weren't supposd to have him in the first place. So she may be ready for a friend.
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This made me think what if OP got a roo for a companion, maybe a banty who wouldn'tt damage her feathers too much. Wouldn't they take to each other better than two hens. Just a crazy thought. :confused:
 
So I got behind on this thread but I'll update now. We actually adopted a hen for her over the weekend and the saga continues! I found a very reputable breeder that came highly recommended (and I agree she was great...so nothing bad to say about her) and she told me she had a hen that needed a special situation...such as a family pet or with only one or two other hens. This was perfect to me so I agreed to adopt her. We picked her up yesterday and my son commented on the ride home that she was shaking....I told him she was just nervous but what I didn't know is that shaking is not normal chicken behavior. Last night I noticed she wasn't finding her roost (she is in a temporary coop with a covered roost area but not enclosed the way my other coop is). I went out and helped her up onto the roost but then this morning I looked out and saw her still up there looking confused...like trying to figure out how to get down. So I went out and let my other hen out hoping that would talk her into coming down (they are next door to each other where they can watch and talk to each other) but she still sat there confused like she didn't have the courage to get down on her own. So finally, right before leaving to take my son to school I reached in and had her climb onto my hand so I could guide her to the ground. Then this afternoon I noticed the shaking again. I wrote some of my chicken friends who all agreed they have never seen one shake from being nervous so I contacted her breeder and she said this has been something she has done since she was little. I was relieved to know this was the norm for her and it wasn't an illness that I had brought to my farm but obviously feel sad for her, so now I have a true special needs chicken. I just hope my other one will take her in. If not, I guess we have one pet and will be on the hunt for another friend for my other one because I don't see the tremoring chicken (now named CoCo) being able to free range unless I'm around to watch her closely and that's okay by me!
 

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